She alternated between reading and dozing.
When she woke up the next day, there was a gray-blue circle around her eyes.
Shu Nian groggily went to the bathroom to wash up, her eyes so sore she could barely keep them open. She ate a sandwich, changed her clothes, and was preparing to go out when she suddenly noticed her haggard face in the mirror.
She paused, went back to her dressing table, and applied some light makeup.
Only then did she leave.
It was just past eleven o’clock.
Shu Nian closed the door and heard movement from upstairs. She looked up, and at that moment, He You was also just coming out of his apartment, carrying a bag of garbage. He had probably just showered and looked considerably fresher than usual.
Seeing her, He You took the initiative to greet her: “Hey.”
Shu Nian nodded and casually asked, “Don’t you have to go to work?”
He You said, “Yes, I came back to get something.”
The two of them walked out the main door downstairs.
It had rained yesterday, and overnight the temperature had dropped several more degrees. As the cold wind blew, Shu Nian couldn’t help shivering, taking gloves out of her bag and lowering her head to put them on.
He You looked at her sideways and suddenly asked, “Do you still feel like someone is following you?”
Shu Nian blinked: “Not for a long time. Why?”
He You said, “Nothing, just asking.”
Afraid that her sensitivity and vigilance might lead him to misunderstand and think there was a pervert in the area, Shu Nian thought for a moment and said quietly, “I was overthinking. Don’t worry about it.”
He You didn’t say anything else, only: “If it happens again, you can look for me.”
The last five words reminded Shu Nian of what Xie Ruhe had said to her at her home before the Spring Festival. It was the same phrase, but when different people said it, it gave her completely different feelings.
Shu Nian tugged at the loose thread on her glove, breathing warm air onto her hands, and said softly, “No need.”
He You wanted to say something more.
Shu Nian’s lips curved in a small smile, the dimple on her cheek looking especially delicate. As if sharing a happy little secret, her tone was light and cheerful: “I have a boyfriend now.”
“…” He You gave her a speechless look, “Why are you acting like I just confessed to you?”
“Huh?” Shu Nian hadn’t thought of it that way at all; she just inexplicably wanted to share this news with someone. With his comment, she felt a bit embarrassed: “No, that’s not what I meant. Besides, aren’t you with Ke Yi…”
Before she could finish, Shu Nian suddenly realized that saying this to him might not be appropriate, and she immediately closed her mouth.
He You frowned and finished her sentence: “Ke Yiqing?”
Shu Nian didn’t know what to say and consoled him tactfully: “…You don’t need to be too upset.”
Not understanding what she meant at all, He You found it somewhat amusing: “Me? Upset? What are you talking about?”
Shu Nian pressed her lips together, not to explain.
He You asked again: “You know her?”
Shu Nian thought for a moment, nodding hesitantly: “Yes.”
“She didn’t ask you for my contact information, did she?” He You hooked the corner of his mouth casually, making a tsk sound. “I’m just too charming, she’s relentlessly pursuing me.”
“…”
“Don’t give it to her—” He You exhaled, looking particularly frivolous as he drawled, “I don’t have time to play games with her.”
The two sides had completely different stories.
Although Shu Nian had questions, she just remained silent.
They happened to reach the community entrance.
The two were heading in different directions, and just as Shu Nian was about to say goodbye, He You scratched his head as if he had been holding something back for a long time. His expression immediately became serious, and he apologized to her very solemnly: “I’m sorry.”
“…” Shu Nian opened and closed her mouth, stunned, not knowing why he was apologizing. “Huh?”
He You found it difficult to say such things, turning his head away awkwardly.
“Just take it to heart, that’s all.”
Yesterday, after meeting Shu Nian on the road, he later heard bits and pieces about her past from the captain. He You tentatively mentioned a few things to the captain and almost got beaten for it.
He You had thought about it all night.
Men can be thick-headed, acting without much thought, but they also feel very guilty.
Because of his job transfer, he moved here to live for a year.
He got to know Shu Nian because, in the beginning, Deng Qingyu often brought him food and frequently talked to him, with the general meaning being that if Shu Nian needed help in any way, he hoped He You could look after her more.
Whenever Shu Nian saw him, she often had a frightened and uneasy appearance, asking in a pleading tone if he could escort her home because she felt bad people were following her.
At first, he took it seriously.
As it happened more often, He You found there was no such thing at all.
Later, he treated it as a joke, joking about it in front of Shu Nian and joking about it in front of others. He just thought this girl was very silly and perhaps this was a new tactic young people used to pursue someone.
He never considered that this girl might have truly experienced something similar, or even something more severe, leaving an indelible psychological shadow.